Reading order · 21 books · 1942 to 1963 · Set in the fictional Kirrin, Dorset
Famous Five Books in Order
The Famous Five are Julian, Dick and Anne Kirrin, their tomboy cousin George and her dog Timmy. In the school holidays they explore islands, caves, moors and old castles, and get mixed up with smugglers, spies and kidnappers, with lashings of picnic food along the way.
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Series facts
- Books
- 21
- Published
- 1942 to 1963
- First book
- Five on a Treasure Island
- Latest
- Five Are Together Again (1963)
- Setting
- Set in the fictional Kirrin, Dorset
The reading order
Every Famous Five book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
21 books · Set in the fictional Kirrin, Dorset
- 1Five on a Treasure Island1942With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinJulian, Dick and Anne go to stay with their aunt and uncle at Kirrin Cottage and meet their cousin George, a girl who wants to be a boy, and her dog Timmy.Buy on Amazon
- 2Five Go Adventuring Again1943With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinAt Christmas the Five are back at Kirrin Cottage with a stern new tutor.Buy on Amazon
- 3Five Run Away Together1944With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinWhile Aunt Fanny is ill, a bad-tempered family takes over Kirrin Cottage, so the Five escape to Kirrin Island, where they find a mystery.Buy on Amazon
- 4Five Go to Smuggler's Top1945With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five stay at Smuggler’s Top, an old house on a hill surrounded by marshes, where smugglers once used secret passages, and someone is still using them.Buy on Amazon
- 5Five Go Off in a Caravan1946With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five go off on holiday in two horse-drawn caravans and camp near a travelling circus, where they make friends with a boy called Nobby and become suspicious of two of the circus men.Buy on Amazon
- 6Five on Kirrin Island Again1947With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinUncle Quentin is working on a secret experiment in a tower on Kirrin Island, and the Five suspect someone is trying to steal his work.Buy on Amazon
- 7Five Go Off to Camp1948With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five camp on the moors and hear stories of spook trains that run in the night.Buy on Amazon
- 8Five Get into Trouble1949With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinOn a cycling holiday, Dick is kidnapped by mistake, taken in place of a rich boy, and the others have to find him in a house called Owl’s Dene.Buy on Amazon
- 9Five Fall into Adventure1950With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinA burglar breaks into Kirrin Cottage, and the Five meet a tough gypsy girl named Jo.Buy on Amazon
- 10Five on a Hike Together1951With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinOn a half-term hiking holiday, the Five come across a message about hidden loot, and set out to find it.Buy on Amazon
- 11Five Have a Wonderful Time1952With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinOn a caravan holiday near a fair and an old castle, the Five stumble on the disappearance of two scientists.Buy on Amazon
- 12Five Go Down to the Sea1953With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five go to stay on a farm on the Cornish coast, where they hear stories of wreckers and watch a strange light shining from the cliffs.Buy on Amazon
- 13Five Go to Mystery Moor1954With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinAt a riding stables near a lonely moor, the Five meet a girl called Henrietta and hear tales of mysterious goings-on.Buy on Amazon
- 14Five Have Plenty of Fun1955With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe daughter of an American scientist comes to stay at Kirrin Cottage in disguise, to hide from kidnappers.Buy on Amazon
- 15Five on a Secret Trail1956With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinGeorge camps near a ruined cottage on the common, and the Five discover strange lights at night.Buy on Amazon
- 16Five Go to Billycock Hill1957With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinOn holiday at a farm near an air base, the Five are caught up in the mystery of a missing pilot.Buy on Amazon
- 17Five Get into a Fix1958With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five spend a winter holiday on a farm in the Welsh mountains, where strange things are happening.Buy on Amazon
- 18Five on Finniston Farm1960With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinOn a farm with an old castle, the Five meet an American and his spoilt son who are hunting for antiques.Buy on Amazon
- 19Five Go to Demon's Rocks1961With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five stay in an old lighthouse, and hear tales of wreckers and hidden treasure.Buy on Amazon
- 20Five Have a Mystery to Solve1962With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThe Five look after a cottage near a mysterious island where no one is allowed to go.Buy on Amazon
- 21Five Are Together Again1963With Julian Kirrin and Dick KirrinThere is illness at Kirrin Cottage, so the Five go to stay with a friend of Uncle Quentin’s, a scientist whose secret papers soon disappear.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Each adventure stands alone, but Five on a Treasure Island introduces George and Kirrin Island, so start there. The rest can be read in any order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Julian Kirrin | Dick Kirrin | Anne Kirrin | George Kirrin | Timmy | Uncle Quentin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Five on a Treasure Island | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 2 Five Go Adventuring Again | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 3 Five Run Away Together | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 4 Five Go to Smuggler's Top | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 5 Five Go Off in a Caravan | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 6 Five on Kirrin Island Again | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 7 Five Go Off to Camp | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 8 Five Get into Trouble | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 9 Five Fall into Adventure | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 10 Five on a Hike Together | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 11 Five Have a Wonderful Time | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 12 Five Go Down to the Sea | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 13 Five Go to Mystery Moor | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 14 Five Have Plenty of Fun | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 15 Five on a Secret Trail | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 16 Five Go to Billycock Hill | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 17 Five Get into a Fix | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 18 Five on Finniston Farm | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 19 Five Go to Demon's Rocks | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 20 Five Have a Mystery to Solve | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
| 21 Five Are Together Again | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Famous Five books
6 characters from Enid Blyton’s chart, with the number of Famous Five books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Julian KirrinEldest and in charge | 21 | Five on a Treasure Island 1942 |
| Dick KirrinJulian's cheerful brother | 21 | Five on a Treasure Island 1942 |
| Anne KirrinYoungest, who keeps house | 21 | Five on a Treasure Island 1942 |
| George KirrinTomboy cousin who owns Kirrin Island | 21 | Five on a Treasure Island 1942 |
| TimmyGeorge's dog | 21 | Five on a Treasure Island 1942 |
| Uncle QuentinGeorge's scientist father | 21 | Five on a Treasure Island 1942 |